US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says Hamas has gained as many new operatives as it has lost since the Gaza war began, while calling on Israel to accept a diplomatic end to the fighting. said.
Blinken, speaking at the Atlantic Council meeting in Washington on Tuesday, said the repeated resurgence of Hamas across Gaza after more than a year of heavy fighting meant that war could not come soon as long as Israel maintained its current strategy. He said it proves that there is no end to it.
“We have long told the Israeli government that military action alone cannot defeat Hamas, and that without a clear alternative – a post-conflict plan and a credible political vision for the Palestinians – Hamas or an equally abominable We’ve been saying there’s nothing there. It’s dangerous and it’s going to come back,” Blinken said.
“That is exactly what has been happening in northern Gaza since October 7,” he added. “Every time Israel completes a military operation and withdraws, Hamas militants regroup and re-emerge because there is nothing else to fill the void.
“In fact, we estimate that Hamas has recruited almost as many new militants as it has lost.”
Blinken said Hamas is betting on a continuation of the war as long as Israel remains in Gaza, arguing that Israel’s current military pressure tactics are in no one’s interest.
The Secretary of State urged Israel to agree to a cease-fire now on the agenda, given that the Jewish state has already dismantled much of the Hamas terrorist network and killed an estimated 18,000 operatives, including its supreme leader. He urged the hostage agreement to proceed. The person responsible for the October 7th terrorist attack.
During the meeting, Blinken said Israel’s best bet for peace is to invite the Palestinian Authority and international partners to facilitate the formation of a new government that would end Hamas’ control of the Gaza Strip.
Blinken said the tactic was needed to push back on narratives that the Israeli government is using war to annex Gaza and the West Bank, which he said would create more problems than solve them. .
“Israelis must abandon the myth that they can carry out de facto annexation without cost or impact on Israel’s democracy, status, or security,” the Secretary of State warned.
Blinken’s comments came after a mediator suggested that Israel and Hamas could reach a final draft of a ceasefire and hostage agreement, finally ending the 15-month war.
The deal currently being discussed calls for the release of up to 33 Israeli hostages. This photo was taken during the October 7th terrorist attack.
“I believe there will be a ceasefire,” Blinken said, noting that it could happen around President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration on January 20.
